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The ultimate source of information about French: a regularly-updated, alphabetical listing of every feature on the Learn French at About site: lessons, articles, tests, sound files, links, and more.

updated 26 August 2013

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C - French Pronunciation
Lessons on French pronunciation: the letter C.

Ça marche !
If it works for you, click to learn about the idiomatic French expression ça marche.

Ça m'est égal
Do you care what the French expression ça m'est égal means? Learn all about it here.

Ça ne fait rien
What does the French expression ça ne fait rien mean? Learn all about it here.

Ça par exemple
What does the French expression ça par exemple mean? Learn all about it here.

Ça va
The French expression ça va is one of the most common in the entire language. It can be both question and answer, but it is informal, so you should try to avoid it when speaking with people you vouvoie. Learn all about ça va with this lesson.

Ça vaut le coup
What does the French expression valoir le coup / ça vaut le coup mean? Learn all about it here.

Cajun French defined
What is Cajun French?

Calendars and Date Books
The end of the year is nigh - time to start thinking about a new calendar or date book. To help you out with this difficult decision, here are my favorite "keepers of the date" in and about French and France. :-)

Calendar Vocabulary - French for Beginners
French for beginners: the French calendar

Canadian Culture
Links to information about Canadian Culture

Canadian French
A short explanation of the French language in relation to Canada.

Canadian French Dialects
French-related regional languages and dialects in Canada

Canadian Provinces
Learn how to say each of the Canadian provinces in French.

Canadian Provinces and US States: Gender Quiz
Do you know which US states and Canadian provinces are masculine and which are feminine? Take this quiz to find out, or click the lesson links to learn the French names for each state and province.

Capitalization
French and English capitalization are quite a bit different. Many words that must be capitalized in English cannot be in French, so read through this lesson to make sure that you're not over-capitalizing your French.  :-)

Capitalization of French Titles
The rules for the capitalization of French titles are quite complicated; so complicated, in fact, that I have been unable to find a definitive system. This lesson looks at the three different schools of thought.

Capitals, Accented
You may have heard that capital letters are not supposed to be accented, when in fact whether or not to use accents on capital letters is entirely up to you. Most of the time they are not essential, and thus most French speakers leave them off. However, there are two instances where I recommend always using accents on capital letters.

Carcassonne photo gallery
Carcassonne, located about 60 miles southeast of Toulouse, is a beautiful medieval city with two sites on Unesco's World Heritage list (the Canal du Midi and la Cité de Carcassonne). Even in the winter, there can be quite a few tourists around, because this charming town is well worth a visit at any time of year.

Caribbean French Dialects
French-related regional languages and dialects in the Caribbean

Carnaval de Nice
Nice Carnaval is the largest winter event on the French Riviera. In 2009, Carnaval de Nice took place from 13 February to 1 March, and the theme was Roi des Mascarades (King of Masquerades). With 20 tall floats (up to 14 meters / 46 feet high); 20 flower floats; 200 "big heads"; and countless dancers, musicians, and other participants - not to mention tens of thousands of spectators, it was a fun and crazy celebration.

Carrefour francophone
Ce forum est monolingue - nous n'y parlons que le français. Si vous trouvez que les autres forums ne contiennent pas suffisamment de français ou bien vous préférez parler seulement en français pour n'importe quelle raison, ce petit coin francophone est à votre disposition. Nous discutons actuellement de la religion, des cultures francophones, de la littérature, des actualités et d'autres sujets pas liés à l'apprentissage du français.

Cas de force majeure
Do I need to make a major case about the French expression cas de force majeure? Learn all about it here.

Casser / Se Casser - Expressions
The French verbs casser and se casser literally mean to break, and are also used in a number of idiomatic expressions. Learn how to talk about breaking someone, boring someone stiff, warning someone, making an omelette by breaking eggs, and more.

Casser les pieds
What does the idiomatic French expression casser les pieds mean? Learn all about it here.

Causative - Faire + Infinitive
The causative construction faire + infinitive is used to describe when someone/something has something done, causes something to happen, or makes someone do something.

Çà, bergers, assemblons-nous
Çà, bergers, assemblons-nous is a traditional French Christmas carol.

Ce, Ceci, Cela, Ça - Indefinite Demonstrative Pronouns
Indefinite (aka neuter or invariable) demonstrative pronouns do not have a specific antecedent and thus do not have different forms for gender and number.

Céder
Conjugations for the French verb céder (and similar verbs)

"Ce hôpital"
What's wrong with saying ce hôpital? Learn about this French mistake.

Celebrities who speak French
If your students don't see any point in learning French, maybe Jodie Foster and Johnny Depp can help: we've compiled a list of famous non-native French speakers around the world - if your students know how many cool people speak French, they might realize how cool French really is!

Celebrating à la française
For Francophiles, any time is a good time to celebrate French, but there is one holiday in particular that cries out for a French-themed party: Bastille Day. Here are some ideas for a party with some French panache.

Ce n'est pas grave
What does the French expression ce n'est pas grave mean? Learn all about it here.

Ce n'est pas la mer à boire
It's not the end of the world if you don't know the expression ce n'est pas la mer à boire, but you should read my lesson anyway.

Ce n'est pas mardi gras aujourd'hui
What does the French expression ce n'est pas mardi gras aujourd'hui mean? Learn all about it here.

Ce n'est pas terrible
What does the French expression ce n'est pas terrible mean? Learn all about it here.

Le Centre Pompidou à Metz
Le Centre Pompidou will soon be found not just in Paris, but also in Metz. Learn about the idea behind this project, the architects who designed it, and some of the museums characteristics.

Ces vs Ses
When writing, it's easy to mix up ces and ses. Learn the equally easy way to avoid this French mistake.

C'est - French Expression c'est
Learn about the French expression c'est.

C'est-à-dire
What does the French expression c'est-à-dire mean? Learn all about it here.

C'est cadeau
What does the French expression c'est cadeau mean? Learn all about it here.

C'est dans la poche
What does the French expression c'est dans la poche mean? Learn all about it here.

C'est le pied
What does the French expression c'est le pied mean? Learn all about it here.

"C'est notre anniversaire"
What's wrong with saying c'est notre anniversaire? Learn about this French mistake.

C'est parti
What does the French expression c'est parti mean? Learn all about it here.

C'est pas de la tarte
What does the expression c'est pas de la tarte mean? Learn all about it here.

C'est pas tes oignons
What does the idiomatic French expression c'est pas tes oignons mean? Learn all about it here.

C'est pas vrai !
What does the French expression c'est pas vrai mean? Learn all about it here.

C'est vs Il est
Learn the different uses for the French expressions c'est and il est

C'est vs Il est - Test
Test yourself on the difference between c'est and il est

"Cet jeune homme"
What's wrong with this? Learn about this French mistake.

"Cettes filles"
What's wrong with this? Learn about this French mistake.

CH - French Pronunciation
Lessons on French pronunciation: the letters CH

Champs-Élysées Audiomagazine
Champs-Élysées is an audiomagazine aimed at intermediate and advanced French students, but is versatile enough to be used by independent students, homeschoolers, teachers, travelers, or anyone else who is interested in additional French listening practice. Click here to read my in-depth review of this first-rate French learning tool.

Champ - Expressions
The French noun un champ literally refers to a field. It is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions, noun clauses, and prepositional phrases. Learn how to say "the coast is clear," "at every opportunity," "to run away," and more with this lesson.

La Chandeleur
In France, 2 February is known as la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or crêpe day. It's customary to eat crêpes and do some fortune telling, and now there's a fun game for French classes too.

Changer de cap
What does the French expression changer de cap mean? Learn all about it here.

Changer les idées
What does the French expression changer les idées mean? Learn all about it here.

Changing Money and Banking
When traveling (or doing anything else, for that matter), you need access to money, which means you need to know how to talk about it in the local language. Here's a page of useful French vocabulary related to money and banking so that you can change money, talk about your payment method, manage bank accounts, and more.

Chanson du nouvel An
Chanson du nouvel An is a French song that celebrates the New Year.

Chanter comme une casserole
What does the French expression chanter comme une casserole mean? Learn all about it here.

"Chapître"
What's wrong with the French word chapître? Learn about this French mistake.

Chartres, Tours, Clermont-Ferrano, France
I recently spent a couple of days in Chartres, Tours, and Clermont-Ferrano - read about my adventures.

Le chassé-croisé des juillettistes et des aoûtiens
What does the French expression le chassé-croisé des juillettistes et des aoûtiens mean? Learn all about it here.

Chat - Expressions
The French word chat refers to a cat or the game of tag, and is also used in various idiomatic expressions as well as three proverbs. Learn how to call a spade a spade, let sleeping dogs lie, give up, and more with this list of expressions with chat.

Checklist of French for beginners lessons
A checklist of the French for beginners lessons.

Chercher
Chercher is a regular -ER verb and means "to look for." Chercher is commonly used like its English counterpart, but there are a few aspects that make it a little tricky. This lesson explains which verb mood to use with chercher, the meaning of chercher followed by an infinitive, and a few essential expressions with chercher.

Chercher - Expressions
The French verb chercher literally means to look for or to search for. It is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions which must be memorized. Learn how to look for a fight, look everywhere for something, look for words, and more.

Chercher des poux dans la tête de quelqu'un
What does the idiomatic French expression chercher des poux dans la tête mean? Learn all about it here.

Chercher midi à quatorze heures
What does the idiomatic French expression chercher midi à quatorze heures mean? Learn all about it here.

"Chercher pour quelque chose"
What's wrong with "chercher pour quelque chose"? Learn about this French mistake.

Cherchez la femme !
Look for the meaning behind the idiomatic French expression cherchez la femme.

Chez
Learn about the French preposition chez.

Chez le dentiste ~ Going to the Dentist
Going to the dentist is another situation where you want to make sure that you can communicate effectively. Take a look at this page for essential French vocabulary and verbs for talking to a dentist.

Les chiens ne font pas des chats
What does the French proverb les chiens ne font pas des chats mean? Learn all about it here.

Chirac vs Le Pen
In reaction to Jean-Marie Le Pen's shocking victory on 21 April, more than one million people across France spent May Day on the streets.

Choral des Adieux
Choral des Adieux is the French equivalent of Auld Lang Syne and is sung to celebrate the New Year.

Chose - French Expressions
The French word chose is usually feminine and means "thing." It is used in a number of idiomatic expressions, and can also be masculine, with a somewhat different meaning.

Christmas Crossword
This crossword puzzle provides fill-in-the-blank clues related to French Christmas words.

Christmas Carols ~ Chants de Noël
Spread some Christmas cheer à la française! Lyrics and translations of dozens of French Christmas carols, including Douce Nuit, Les Anges dans nos campagnes, Vive le vent, Il est né le divin enfant, and Mon beau sapin.

Christmas in France
In France, Christmas is a time for family and for generosity, marked by family reunions, gifts and candy for children, gifts for the poor, Midnight Mass, and le Réveillon. The celebration of Christmas varies in France by region.

Christmas Vocabulary
Whether writing a letter to Santa or just celebrating Christmas, this French Christmas vocabulary will come in handy.

Christmas Word Search
Have some Christmas fun with a word search puzzle featuring French Christmas and New Year's words and phrases.

Ci- French prefix
The French prefix ci- is often placed in front of adverbs, prepositions, adjectives, and past participles to indicate location, as in ci-dessous and ci-joint.

-ci - French suffix
The French suffix -ci can be added to nouns or demonstrative pronouns to mean this, these, or the latter.

Ci-joint
Learn about the French expression ci-joint, including what it means and when it requires agreement.

Cinq ans dans la vie d'une petite fille, 1940-1945 - Book Review
Looking for a short book written in relatively easy French? Interested in reading a new perspective on World War II? Cinq ans dans la vie d'une petite fille, 1940-1945 might be just what you need.

Le cinq à sept
You know what "one to ten" and "nine to five" mean, but what about le cinq à sept? Click to learn all about this potentially risqué expression.

Citation du jour - Great French and Francophone Thinkers
Daily words of wisdom from great French and francophone thinkers, in French and English

Citron, Fête du
Menton's citrus celebration brings tons of citrus and hundreds of thousands of people to town every year.

Claquer - Expressions
The verb claquer literally means to slap or to bang. It is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions, including snapping one's heels or fingers, slamming the door, pulling a muscle, and more.

Classification of Consonants
Lessons on French pronunciation: classification of the consonants

Classroom Game: Family Feud
Play Family Feud in French class - it's easy to set up, a fun way to review vocabulary and grammar in any language class, and can be adapted for all levels.

Classroom Game: Mâcher la Moustique
Mâcher la moustique is a fun and easy game and a great way to review vocabulary or grammar in any language class.

Classroom number practice
Do you find teaching numbers boring, figuring that once you've taught your students to count in French, there's not much else you can do? If so, I have good news for you (and your students). Teachers on the Profs de français forum recently shared all kinds of great ideas for practicing numbers, including several games.

Classroom Phrases
To help students use as much French as possible in the classroom, here is a list of essential words and phrases related to comprehension and typical classroom requests, with sound files.

Clichés
Learn more ways to express yourself with this growing list of French expressions, proverbs, and clichés

Clip Art and Photographs
A dozen free images created by me, plus links to additional clip art, photographs, and screensavers.

Clore
Conjugations for the French verb clore

Closing - French Business Letters
Tips and formulas for writing commercial correspondence. French job applications require very formal language - find it here!

Closing - French Job Letters
Tips and formulas for writing commercial correspondence. French job applications require very formal language - find it here!

Clothing - French for Beginners
French for beginners: clothing vocabulary

Coffee in France
If you think ordering coffee in a French café or bar is the same as back home, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. Ask for un café and you'll be presented with a tiny cup of espresso, and if you then request milk, you're likely to get a dirty look or sigh of exasperation. What's the problem?

Collins English-French / French-English Online Dictionary
Collins English-French online dictionary includes 80,000 references and 120,000 translations.

Collins Robert French Dictionary
A review of Beryl T. Atkins' Collins Robert French Dictionary.

Colloquial French and Slang
The French you learn in the classroom is not the same as what you'll hear on the street or in the news. While it is essential to master correct, formal French, it is equally important to be able to understand and use slang and colloquial expressions before you can call yourself fluent. These resources teach you what very few teachers ever dared: real French, as spoken between friends and enemies.

Colors in French - French for Beginners
French for beginners: learn how to say colors

Combined-Level French Classes
Budget cuts and low interest in language are always bad news for French teachers, and one common solution is to combine different levels of French classes, particularly levels 3 and 4. While this is fine for the school budget, it can be very tricky for French teachers to meet the needs of both levels. Here are some ideas to keep your sanity while making the class interesting for your students.

Comedy Movies
I love movies, especially comedies, but I personally don't think that there are many funny French movies. My sense of humor just doesn't seem to "get" most French film. However, I gave this some serious thought recently and was able to come up with a number of great French comedies.

Comme
The French word comme can be a conjunction, adverb, or part of an adverbial phrase and is one of the most common French words.

Comme - French expressions
The French word comme literally means "like" or "as" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say soaking wet, knee-high to a grasshopper, everyday, and more with this list of expressions with comme.

Comme d'habitude
As usual, you just need to click to learn all about the French expression comme d'habitude.

Comment
The French adverb comment can be interrogative or exclamative and is one of the most common French words. Learn how to use comment to mean "how" and "what" as well as which uses of "how" in English are not translated by comment in French.

Commercial - About French
The closest I'll ever get to fame... my site, Learn French at About, has been featured in a Channel One commercial for About.com. For those of you who missed it or loved it and can't wait to see it again, here it is, in two formats, followed by a couple of trivia questions.

Common Ailments ~ French Illness Vocabulary
Getting sick is never fun, but being in a foreign country and not being able to communicate about your illness can definitely ruin your trip. Learn some French illness vocabulary so that you can communicate with French-speaking doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists.

Common French Words
What are the most common French words? Here are the top 100, with links to lessons.

Common French Phrases
Take a look at this list to learn some of the most useful and common French phrases, with links to more detailed information and sound files.

Communciation and Media
Learn French vocabulary related to media and communication, including television, radio, internet, and snail mail.

Communities for Kids
Online French communities especially for kids

Community Resources
Links to help you find other French speakers to practice, chat, or commiserate with.

Comparatives and Superlatives
Clear explanations, detailed descriptions, and lots of examples - I consider it one of the best explanations of French comparatives and superlatives that exist. :-)

Comparative and Superlative Adverbs - Test
Lesson and quiz on French comparatives and superlatives

Compound Nouns ~ Noms composés
French compound nouns are made up of two or more words and are often connected by hyphens. Making them plural can be a little tricky, but there are some guidelines that can help.

Compound Tenses
French verb conjugations can be divided into two categories: simple tenses and compound tenses. Simple tenses have only one part (je vais) whereas compound tenses have two (je suis allé). Compound tenses are obviously more complicated, so this lesson will explain what you need to know about them and includes links to detailed lessons on each tense.

Computers and French
Assorted resources for using French on the computer and internet.

Comprendre - French Expressions
The French verb comprendre normally means "to understand," but also has a few other meanings, and is used in some expressions. Learn how to make yourself understood, catch on quickly, take a joke, and more with this list of expressions.

Conclure
Conjugations for the French verb conclure

Conclusions - Parce que, Car, Puisque, Comme
The French conjunctions parce que, car, puisque, and comme are commonly used to draw conclusions or otherwise relate a cause or explanation with a result or conclusion. These conjunctions have similar but not identical meanings and uses - this lesson explains the difference.

Concordance des temps
When speaking French, it is important to use the correct sequence of tenses. In complex sentences, there is a relationship between the verb in the main clause and the verb in the subordinate clause. Using the correct sequence of tenses is just as important as conjugating the verbs correctly and using the appropriate mood.

Conditional - Le Conditionnel
The conditional is a verb mood used for events that are not guaranteed to occur; often they are dependent on certain conditions, usually translated as "would" in English. 

Conditional - Usage
Learn to use the French conditional

Conditional - Test
Test on the French conditional.

Conditional Perfect - Formation
Learn how to conjugate the French conditional perfect

Conditional Perfect - Test
Test your understanding of the French conditional perfect.

Conditional Perfect - Usage
Learn how to use the French conditional perfect.

Conditional Perfect, 2nd Form - Seconde forme du conditionnel passé
The second form of the French conditional perfect is a rather strange verb tense/mood. It is the literary equivalent of the conditional perfect and is identical in conjugation to another verb form. As with all literary tenses, you should learn to recognize the conditional perfect, 2nd form, but chances are that you will never need to conjugate it.

Conditionals
Learn all about French si clauses.

Conduire
Conjugations for the French verb conduire

Confire
Conjugations for the French verb confire

Confirming Receipt - Lettres commerciales - French Business Letters
Tips and formulas for writing commercial correspondence. French job applications require very formal language - find it here!

Confusing Pairs
Lessons to help you distinguish between oft-confused groups of French verbs, expressions, and grammatical structures, including passé composé vs imparfait, jour vs journée, amener vs emmener vs apporter vs emporter, quand vs lorsque, c'est vs il est, and 19 more.

Confusing Pair Quiz
How well do you understand the difference between confusing French pairs like savoir/connaître, tu/vous, and passé composé/imparfait? This automatic-scoring quiz will ask up to 200 questions on 20 different confusing French topics to help you pinpoint your most common mistakes.

Conjugation
Conjugation refers to the five possible inflections of a verb. Once you've made a choice from each of these five, you have a conjugation or inflection. Some factors make it difficult to figure out the subject to conjugate for.

Conjunctive Phrases - Locutions conjonctives
A conjunctive phrase is a group of two or more words that functions as a conjunction, such as afin que and parce que. Conjunctive phrases usually end in que and are usually subordinating conjunctions.

Conjugations
Online French verb conjugator and conjugation tables.

Conjugations (improving)
Conjugating French verbs in a workbook or letter is one thing, but remembering individual verb conjugations when you're speaking is another matter entirely. Here are some tips to help you get better at conjugating French verbs.

Conjunctions
Learn all about French conjunctions.

Connaître
Conjugations for the French verb connaître

Connaître la musique
What does the idiomatic French expression connaître la musique mean? Learn all about it here.

Connaître vs Savoir - French Verbs To Know
What's the difference between the French verbs savoir and connaître?

Consonants - Pronunciation
Lessons on French pronunciation: consonants.

Contractions
Although contractions in English are optional, in French they are required, so it is important to learn when and how to make contractions. Fortunately, the rules for French contractions are quite simple.

Contre
Learn about the French preposition contre

Conversations françaises : Les Relations transatlantiques - The French-American Relationship
From the publisher of Champs-Élysées audiomagazine comes a product ideal for anyone wondering what the French think of the United States or why the Iraq war contributed to a spate of anti-Frenchism. This bilingual audiobook comprises three interviews with prominent French intellectuals about the relationship between France and the United States - read my review.

Coordinating Conjunctions
Learn about French coordinating conjunctions.

Coq-à-l'âne
What's a coq-à-l'âne? Learn all about it here.

Correspondence Classes
Find out about distance French learning

Coudre
Conjugations for the French verb coudre

Countries of the World
A list of the countries of the world in English and French.

Coup - Expressions
The French noun un coup literally refers to a shock or blow. It is also used in dozens of idiomatic expressions, noun clauses, and prepositional phrases.

Coup d'œil
What does the French expression un coup d'œil mean? Learn all about it here.

Un coup de fil
What does the French expression coup de fil mean? Learn all about it here.

Coup de foudre
What does the French expression coup de foudre mean? Learn all about it here.

Couper les cheveux en quatre
What does the idiomatic French expression couper les cheveux en quatre mean? Learn all about it here.

Courir
Conjugations for the French verb courir

Couvrir
Conjugations for the French verb couvir

Le CPE
In January 2006, the French government passed a labor reform law that sparked off protests around the country. Learn about the CPE and why it was so distasteful to French students and workers in this audio report from LaGuinguette audio magazine.

Craindre
Conjugations for the French verb craindre

Create a French Magazine ~ French Class Project
Give your students an assignment to create a French magazine, with articles and ads. While this project is best suited for a final project and can be used as the basis for an end-of-term presentation, it can also be adapted for less time - whatever fits your schedule.

Create a French Village Project
Whether you're a teacher or an independent-study student, projects are a great way to spice up your language classes. This is a fairly short-term project - one week to one month - will put vocabulary related to shopping to the test.

Crèche provençale
The traditional nativity scene includes both religious and everyday scenes.

Crêpe Day
In France, 2 February is known as la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or crêpe day. It's customary to eat crêpes and do some fortune telling, and now there's a fun game for French classes too.

Croire
Conjugations for the French verb croire

All about Croire
Croire is one of the most common French verbs. It's irregular in conjugation and literally means "to believe," and is also used in many idiomatic expressions.

The Crook or the Fascist - Chirac vs Le Pen
In reaction to Jean-Marie Le Pen's shocking victory on 21 April, more than one million people across France spent May Day on the streets.

French Crossword Puzzles - Mots fléchés
Mots fléchés are French crossword puzzles which provide clues within the puzzle itself, rather than in a list on the side. You can print out free mots fléchés to get a bit of challenging - and fun! - French practice every day.

Cueillir
Conjugations for the French verb cueillir

Culture and Travel
You can't really speak French unless you know about the culture too - they go hand-in-hand. Check these links for information about the arts, fashion, music, sports, and the history of France and many other francophone countries.

Le CV français
When applying for a job in a French-speaking country, your résumé needs to be in French, which is more than a matter of translation. Aside from the obvious language difference, certain information that may not be required on résumés in your country is required in France. This article explains the basic requirements and formats of French résumés, and includes several samples to help you get started.

Cycling Vocabulary
Whether you love cycling or just watching competitions like the Tour de France, you'll want to learn some French vocabulary related to cycling.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

D - French Pronunciation
Lessons on French pronunciation: the letter D

Dahlías and Málaga, Spain
I recently visited Dahlías and Málaga, Spain - read about my adventures.

Daily French
This site includes three daily French features: a word, quote, and lesson of the day.

Daily French Lessons
Review a different lesson every day.

Daily French Newsletter
Practicing French every day is key to becoming fluent. This 14-day newsletter course offers dozens of ideas and links for daily French practice.

Daily French Practice
Daily French practice is a must, as it is only by practicing and using your French that you will be able to retain what you've learned and, eventually, develop fluency. Aside from the obvious ways to practice, like speaking up in class and reading books, there are a number of ways you can incorporate French into your daily life.

Dairy products and other food - French for Beginners
French for beginners: dairy products and other food

Dans
Everything you need to know about the French preposition dans.

Dans vs En
Learn the difference between the French prepositions en and dans, then take the test.

Dans son assiette
What does the French expression dans son assiette mean? Learn all about it here.

Dans - expressions with dans
The French preposition dans means "in" and is also used in many expressions. Learn how to say at first, towards the end, to faint, and more with this list of expressions with dans.

Dashes and Hyphens - Le Trait d'union et le tiret
Hyphens and m-dashes are important in both English and French, but they are considerably more common in the latter. This lesson explains when, why, and how to use hyphens and m-dashes in French.

Dates in French - La Date
Knowing how to talk about the date is essential for making reservations and appointments. Dates are a little bit different in French and English, but they're not difficult once you learn the rules and formulas.

De
All about the French preposition dIe

De - Expressions
Expressions with the French preposition de.

De bon gré
I hope you're willing to read this lesson about the French expression de bon gré and its variations.

Decimals
Learn how to say French numbers with decimals and then practice your comprehension with a series of random numbers.

Découvrir
Conjugations for the French verb découvrIir

Découvrir le pot aux roses
What does the idiomatic French expression découvrir le pot aux roses mean? Learn all about it here.

Definite Article
Learn to use the French definite article

Definite Article - Advanced
The French definite article is used much more often than its English counterpart. In addition to indicating a specific noun or talking about a noun in a generic sense, there are many other uses, which this lesson will discuss in detail.

Definite, Indefinite, and Partitive Articles - Test
Test your French skills - definite, indefinite, and partitive articles

DELF / DALF - French Proficiency Test
DELF / DALF is the official French proficiency test offered by the French Ministry of Education. In addition to allowing you to opt out of a French university's language entrance exam, it looks good on your CV. If you are interested in obtaining an official document proclaiming your French language skills, read this article about the test(s) you'll need to pass.

Demander - Expressions
The verb demander literally means to ask and is used in a number of idiomatic expressions which must be memorized. Learn how to ask for assistance, to ask for a favor, to ask to speak to someone, and more with this lesson.

"Demander une question"
What's wrong with saying demander une question? Learn about this French mistake.

Demonstrative Adjectives - Adjectifs démonstratifs
Demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those) are words which indicate a specific noun. In French, they must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify (ce, cet, cette, ces). Learn about these essential adjectives and then take the test.

Demonstrative Adjectives - Test
Test yourself on French demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative Pronouns - Pronoms démonstratifs
Demonstrative pronouns (this one, that one, these, those) refer to a previously-mentioned noun in a sentence. In French, they must agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify.

Demonstrative Pronouns - Test
Test on French demonstrative pronouns

Dentist Vocabulary ~ Chez le dentiste
Going to the dentist is another situation where you want to make sure that you can communicate effectively. Take a look at this page for essential French vocabulary and verbs for talking to a dentist.

Dents du bonheur / Dents de la chance
It might be your lucky day - learn about the idiomatic French expressions dents du bonheur and dents de la chance.

Depuis vs Il y a
The French temporal expressions depuis and il y a have distinctly different meanings and uses, yet they commonly present difficulties for French students. Here is a detailed explanation and comparison of depuis and il y a to help you clearly understand the difference once and for all.

Depuis vs pendant
Learn the difference between the French prepositions depuis,  pendant, and pour.

De rien
Don't thank me until you've read this lesson on the French expression de rien.

Derrière vs Après
Learn the difference between French prepositions après et derrière

Desserts and other food - French for Beginners
French for beginners: desserts and other food

Dessus and Dessous
The adverbs dessus and dessous are used alone as well as in a number of adverbial phrases, such as au-dessus/dessous, là-dessus/dessous, par-dessus/dessous, and more. Despite their similar spelling, dessus and dessous are exact opposites.

Determiners ~ Adjectifs déterminants
The grammatical term determiner refers to a word, either an article or a certain type of adjective, which introduces and simultaneously modifies a noun. Determiners, also known as non-qualifying adjectives, are much more common in French than in English - some sort of determiner is nearly always required in front of each noun used.

Les Deux Magots
Intermediate/advanced listening comprehension exercise based on an interview with the manager of the famous Deux Magots café in Paris.

Devant vs avant
Learn the difference between French prepositions avant et devant

Devoir
Conjugations for the French verb devoir

Devoir - All About Devoir
The French verb devoir has a number of different meanings related to concepts like obligation and probability. Learn about the different uses and meanings of this common French verb.

Devoir vs Falloir
The French verbs devoir and falloir are used to express obligation and necessity in different ways. Each verb has another meaning when followed by a noun.

De vs À
The difference between the French prepositions à and de

De vs Du, De la, Des
The preposition de tends to be very difficult for French students, even at advanced levels. Trying to figure out whether to use de, du, de la, or des can be a real challenge! This lesson is a summary of when to use de and when to use the indefinite article, partitive article, or de + definite article (which looks like the partitive - but isn't. Ugh!)

Dialects, Patois, and Regional Languages
Have you ever noticed that the French you hear in Paris is quite different than the French you hear in Canada? There are many different French dialects and regionalities. Learn all about the differences in French around the world right here.

Dialogue, beginning French
Practice your French listening ability with this beginning-level French dialogue featuring greetings and introductions and your choice of speeds: regular and slow.

Dictées
The publisher of the online French audio magazine La Guinguette has a new product to help you work on your French listening and writing skills at the same time. Dictation is a technique used in many language classes, and now 120 dictées de français offers hours of practice for independent learners.

Dictionaries
Save money by using online dictionaries and word lists! They're free and they come in all shapes, sizes, and specializations. Check this page for computer dictionaries, science dictionaries, and lots more.

Dictionary of French Expressions
All of the French expressions found in various lessons on this site, including idiomatic expressions, proverbs, phrasal verbs, and formulas, arranged alphabetically by the first word in the French expression.

French Dictionary Software
If you spend a lot of time reading/writing French, especially on the computer, having a good French dictionary program (or two) can make life a lot easier. I recently purchased several French dictionary programs and already can't remember what life was like without them. Based on my own preferences as well as extensive research, here are the best French dictionary programs you can buy.

Differences between French and English
French and English are related languages, so there are some similarities. Perhaps more importantly, however, there are a number of differences, both major and minor, between French and English. Here are some brief explanations with links to further information.

Dire
Dire is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation, means "to say" or "to tell," and is found in a number of idiomatic expressions.

Dire, Écrire, Lire
These three French verbs of communication are irregular, but in the present tense their conjugations are very similar. Learn how to conjugate and use them correctly. 

Dire - Expressions
The French verb dire literally means "to say" or "to tell" and is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions. Learn how to talk about telling someone off, putting words in someone's mouth, and much more with this list of expressions.

Dire ses quatre vérités
What does the French expression dire ses quatre vérités mean? Learn all about it here.

Direct and indirect speech
Discours direct et indirect - French direct and indirect speech

Direct and indirect speech - test
Discours direct et indirect - French direct and indirect speech

Directions - French for Beginners
French for beginners: travel vocabulary - directions

Direct Object Pronouns
Learn all about French direct object pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns - Test
Quiz on French direct and indirect objects

Dis donc, Dites donc
What does the French expression dis donc / dites donc mean? Learn all about it here.

Disjunctive Pronouns
Learn to use disjunctive pronouns in French

Dishes and Silverware - French for Beginners
French for beginners: dishes and silverware

Dix points ~ French Classroom Game
At the end of the school year, students are often preoccupied with summer vacation and lose their motivation to continue learning. It's a good time to learn, practice, and review French in interesting and creative ways, and games are an excellent way to do this. This game, called Dix Points (Ten Points), is a fun way to review vocabulary.

Dog Trots Globe: To Paris and Provence
If you're interested in reading a cute, traveling dog tale as barked to her owner, check out Chula Wula d'Augue's Dog Trots Globe: To Paris and Provence. Chula describes the best parts of exploring France at ground level, and with the French love of dogs, this is a varied list.

Donner - Expressions
The French verb donner literally means to give, and is also used in nearly a hundred idiomatic expressions. Learn how to talk about the TV being on full-blast, making someone believe something, hitting one's head, sounding the alarm, giving in, devoting oneself to something, and much more.

Donner sa langue au chat
What does the idiomatic French expression donner sa langue au chat mean? Learn all about it here.

Dormir
Conjugations for the French verb dormir

Double Negatives
Grammarians insist that two negatives make a positive. While this may be true in English, in French two negatives make a stronger negative. Double negation is very common in French, particularly informal French. However, there are some rules and regulations when using double negatives in French.

Double Object Pronouns
Lesson and quiz on the position and order of French double object pronouns

Double Object Pronouns - Test
Quiz on using 2 French object pronouns

Douce nuit
The French Christmas carol "Douce nuit" is sung to the tune of "Silent Night."

Drinks - French for Beginners
French for beginners: drinks

Driving Terms
Useful vocabulary for anyone planning to drive in France, with sound files.

Dual-Gender Nouns
The gender of nouns tends to be a sticky grammar point for French students, and there are a number of French nouns which are identical in pronunciation (and often spelling as well) but which have different meanings depending on whether they are masculine or feminine.

Du coup
What does the French expression du coup mean? Learn all about it here.

Du jour au lendemain
What does the French expression du jour au lendemain mean? Learn all about it here.

Du tout
What does the French expression du tout mean? Learn all about it here.

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